Anheuser-Busch disclosed its ingredients for its beers Budweiser as well as Bud Light following decades of keeping that data secret. A popular blogger started a petition requesting that major brewers released their beer ingredients. The petition began to pick up steam by gathering over 40,000 signatures in less than 24 hours.
The brewer responded quite fast, listing the ingredients on the site tapintobeer.com. The two AB beers have just five ingredients: water, rice, barley malt, hops and yeast.
The blogger responded that she was very pleased with the brewer’s response, saying it was nice to see that someone’s voice is heard and changes longtime policies overnight of multibillion-dollar businesses.
The blogger had become a powerful voice online with regard to sourcing of ingredients in food. Her blog was responsible for recently persuading Subway the sandwich chain to stop its use of a controversial food additive that can also be found in yoga mats and the soles of some shoes.
She also put pressure on Kraft to eliminate a dye from some of its macaroni and cheese products.
The brewer said it would list its ingredients for other beers including Michelob, Busch and Becks in the near future.
Many have tried to get the beer companies to list the ingredients in their brews for many years. Some have lobbied the U.S. government to require that breweries disclose the ingredients. However, it looks as if all you needed to do was ask and have another 40,000 people ask along with you.
This ingredients issue underlines the power the consumer now has in influencing the way food companies and restaurants develop and source their products.
At this time, more than at any time previously, people want to be aware of exactly what is in the beer they drink, the bread they eat and other items they are consuming.
They also want restaurants to have fresh ingredients in their foods from providers that are local. They question the need for chemicals and other additives that are artificial.
